A modern head teacher, asked about the problem of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll at his school, would probably think as follows:
a) sex: they shouldn't get pregnant or contract STDs
b) drugs: cannabis is a fact of life, but maybe I can keep out Ecstasy, and I dearly hope I can keep out anything worse
c) rock'n'roll: eh?

In c. 1960, sex at Horsham meant something else, and rock'n'roll was banned. And drugs?

The main recreational drug was caffeine, illegal only in the sense that there was no legal way of boiling water. Alcohol was not commonly indulged in (honest!). Smoking nicotine was a major problem. And illegal drugs? Virtually unknown (as generally in the country in those days). But there was the following incident, which may represent the first appearance of "substance abuse" at CH.

On the 1962 Aldermaston March, the CH contingent included someone (call him "P") recently expelled from Lamb A. (His offence was that he had taken obscene photographs of his fellows, and had been foolish enough to hang the negatives out to dry over the bars of the air-passage windows. His house-captain noticed, and (rather officiously, I think) reported the matter.) Anyway P showed someone (I forget who) on the March that there was a cheap and legal way to get amphetamines. Namely from a particular brand of OTC nasal inhalant ("Nostrodine") which instead of having cotton-wool soaked in the stuff, had strips of rice-paper, which could be rolled up and swallowed. About ten shots for two shillings.
In the ensuing summer term, this was indulged in by a smallish coterie of Grecians at first, but as is the way of such things, the stuff got passed down to more junior people. Eventually the house captain of Maine A noticed that someone on the UF or GE was behaving oddly, including falling asleep while fielding in a cricket match (okay, that may seem natural enough, but there was more to it). The matter was reported to the housemaster Martin Barker, who soon got the truth out of the boy. Very commendably, he said nothing to the headmaster, but passed it on to the doctor, who seems to have treated it as a medical rather than disciplinary matter, and summoned those users who had been identified, and told them that this was really not a good idea. That was the end of it, and as far as I know, the matter went no further.

michael scuffil wrote:A modern head teacher, asked about the problem of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll at his school, would probably think as follows:
a) sex: they shouldn't get pregnant or contract STDs
b) drugs: cannabis is a fact of life, but maybe I can keep out Ecstasy, and I dearly hope I can keep out anything worse
c) rock'n'roll: eh?

In c. 1960, sex at Horsham meant something else, and rock'n'roll was banned. And drugs?

The main recreational drug was caffeine, illegal only in the sense that there was no legal way of boiling water. Alcohol was not commonly indulged in (honest!). Smoking nicotine was a major problem. And illegal drugs? Virtually unknown (as generally in the country in those days). But there was the following incident, which may represent the first appearance of "substance abuse" at CH.

I can only agree with Michael, although we did have a couple of electric kettles in Coleridge B for making coffee, usually drunk black unless milk was nicked from the dining hall at breakfast.

Certainly no drugs at all as I remember.

Cigarettes were never a problem, usually smoked in the tube or tube drying-rooms in the winter and the lag or Shelleys Wood in the summer.

Sex was something we dreamed about after Dr. Mathews explicit sex-lectures. One or two Grecians did take advantage, (allegedly), of the charms of some of the female Spanish/Italian Dining Hall staff. Because of the lack of girls and hence any experience, I was a late starter, but made up for it in the 1963 after leaving.

Big drugs bust in 1987 or 1988 with a load of people expelled. It was followed by the whole senior school having to sit through David Kossoffs anti drugs one man show about how his son became a smack addict when he was in Free and then dying of an overdose. All it seemed to do was sell a lot of Paul Kossoff records.

J.R. wrote:
Sex was something we dreamed about after Dr. Mathews explicit sex-lectures. One or two Grecians did take advantage, (allegedly), of the charms of some of the female Spanish/Italian Dining Hall staff. Because of the lack of girls and hence any experience, I was a late starter, but made up for it in the 1963 after leaving.

I suspect that it was more alleged than fact; they were pretty strictly monitored and even if you did get to see them outside the chastity bras and belts were insurmountable Poor girls didn't know what they were missing - nor did I!

OTOH if you had a bike then on a Sunday afternoon there was the girls' boarding school over towards ?Fiveoaks - about 6 miles north west - which had an unoccupied dwelling. How we hoped!

“When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love ...”

I think the school they are talking about became the auction house between five oaks and billingshurst. I believe it was a convent school. I was born in Horsham and went to primary school in Slinfold where Mrs Sillett was dep Head hence me being pushed in the direction of CH. I can't think of any other girl's school in that direction, Farlington is as you say the other way.

I wonder if anyone on here knows my great gandad, I think he was Mr Sutherland (not sure if great paternal or maternal) he taught with Kirby and lived at the end of new road southwater where apparently he allowed some grecians to come down the footpath from opposite the end of the track from big side to 2mile ash change in his garden and then go to the hen and chick.

My grandad lives down the same road and used until recently (macular degeneration) drink in the bax as well as the hen and chick

adlop wrote:Big drugs bust in 1987 or 1988 with a load of people expelled. It was followed by the whole senior school having to sit through David Kossoffs anti drugs one man show about how his son became a smack addict when he was in Free and then dying of an overdose. All it seemed to do was sell a lot of Paul Kossoff records.

Yes I remember that - I reckon it was 1986/7 - it was just before Richard Poulton became head - we were all summonsed to Big School or chapel (can't remember now) by the head (whose name I have forgotten ) and given a lecture. Some from my year were expelled and others suspended. Meanwhile it made front page in The Express I still have the cutting somewhere. I remember ringing my parents to tell them first before they read it in the paper

adlop wrote:Big drugs bust in 1987 or 1988 with a load of people expelled. It was followed by the whole senior school having to sit through David Kossoffs anti drugs one man show about how his son became a smack addict when he was in Free and then dying of an overdose. All it seemed to do was sell a lot of Paul Kossoff records.

Yes I remember that - I reckon it was 1986/7 - it was just before Richard Poulton became head - we were all summonsed to Big School or chapel (can't remember now) by the head (whose name I have forgotten ) and given a lecture. Some from my year were expelled and others suspended. Meanwhile it made front page in The Express I still have the cutting somewhere. I remember ringing my parents to tell them first before they read it in the paper

Hansford? Didn't half of Thorn A get the short end of the stick? There was a lovely guy in my year (name withheld although I do remember him) who had to leave. I sort of understood that they got the rap for it otherwise half of the senior school across all houses would have been expelled. I do remember being dragged out to do a band parade for the cameras.

Catherine Standing (Cooper) Canteen Cath 1.12 (1983-85) & Col A 20 (1985-90)Any idiot can deal with a crisis. It takes a genius to cope with everyday life.

Yes - that's it - Hansford - his name was on the tip of my tongue! I agree - it was Thorn that bore the brunt of the expulsions/suspensions etc. Certainly the two I remember from my year were in that house.